Cities united in bid for rail hub

FIVE Northern cities have urged the Government to fund a major rail improvement scheme.

Manchester City Council has joined forces with four other cities to back the Northern Hub programme, which it says would generate £4 billion in economic benefits.

The leaders of Manchester, Sheffield, Liverpool, Leeds and Newcastle City Councils have written jointly to the Chancellor to stress how important it will be for the Treasury to commit to the £560 million scheme in full for delivery between 2014 and 2019

They say the proposals, developed by Network Rail, would unlock the capacity constraints of the North’s rail network — currently a significant obstacle to economic growth — and would enable 700 more trains to run every day across the region.

The councils argue it also has public support, with over 83 per cent of those surveyed agreeing with the scheme and 80 per cent saying they will be more likely to travel by train if the plans are carried out in full.

Sir Richard Leese, leader of Manchester City Council, said: “This isn’t a situation where we’re competing for funding with other cities — we’ll all benefit from the boost to jobs and the economy that the Hub will provide.